Grass Is Greener Up On The Roof

Imagine having grass on your rooftop or bamboo on your floors. Sound primitive? Quite the contrary. It's the latest thing for environmentally-friendly construction. And it's happening in Tulsa.

Architect Shelby Navarro is the designer and developer for a duplex near Cherry Street in Tulsa. It incorporates just about every environmentally-friendly technique that he can think of. The walls are made from pre-fabricated panels, filled with foam, that are both strong and energy-efficient. The bamboo floors look and feel just like hardwood, but don't destroy slow-growing trees.

And there is a rooftop garden where real grass and dirt provide top-notch insulation and UV protection. Shelby Navarro says you might be the only on your block though who mows your roof. "You might have to get up there and use a weed-eater on it a little bit, but it's usually a slow-growing species that's pretty low-maintenance."

The house even collects rainwater for later, non-drinking uses, like flushing the toilet or watering the lawn.